Cxgabette-case



K. E. BEMIS.

CIGARETTE CASE.

APPLICATION men DEC. 19. 1918.

Patented Dec. 2,1919.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEETI K. E. BEMlS.

CIGARETTE CASE.

APPLIICATION FILED DEC. 19. 1918.

L323,42. Patented Dec.2,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[M -WWW KENNETH E. BEMIS, 0F STILLWATER, MINNESOTA.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

. Application filed December 19, 1918. Serial No. 267,534.

efiicient clgarette case in the nature of ametallic housing into which a package of cigarettes may be inserted, and from which the cigarettes may be easily ejected, one at a time as will hereinafter more fully appear. This case is I especially designed for holding cigarettes that are put up in soft pliable cartons and it serves to prevent crushing or breaking of the cigarettes when carried in the pocket. This case is adapted to be made at very small cost and especially when stamped from a single piece of sheet steel or thin spring metal out, pressed or bent into form by the use of suitable dies.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. Referring to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a blank form from which the preferred form of the case is made, the said blank form being still in its fiat formation just as primarily cut by the dies;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the case showing a package of cigarettes contained therein;

Fig. 8 is a plan View of the case;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the case, the package of cigarettes being removed.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3, the package of cigarettes being removed from the case;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the case with the package of cigarettes removed;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the casewith the package of cigarettes removed;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation showing a packa e of cigarettes and illustrating the way tiie to portion of the carton or paper carton o the package should be torn away before the package is inserted into the case;

Fig. 10 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5, but illustrating a somewhat modified form of the case; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line i -.4 of Fig. 2, thepackage of cigarettes being removed from the case.

An ordinary package of cigarettes a, con- "tained in a paper carton b, is shown in Figs.

2, 3, 4:, 5, 9 and 10. Preferably, the entire caseis made from a single sheet of thin spring metal, such as'sheet steel primarily stamped or-cut to the form shown in Fig. 1. This sheet comprises main portions 11, 12, 12 and 13. The portion 11 is adapted to form the top of the case and the sheet is adapted to be bent on the broken lines marked c--c, to turn the portions 12, 12 into parallel relation at right angles to the portion 11, and therebycause the said portions 12 to constitute the sides of the case. The extended portion 13 is adapted to be bent on the broken line (Z to a position beneath the top 11 to form a spring blade which, as presently noted, will engage the tops of the cigarettes held in the case.

The four corners]. of the blank are obliquely cut off at f, and the intermediate portion of the blank is formed with a large -shaped notch g. The outer or bottom forming edges of the side portions 12 are adapted to be bent ofl at right angles on broken lines 72., to form the bottom flanges 14; the front edges of the said side portions 12 are adapted to be bent inwardly at right angles on roken lines to form front retaining flanges 15; and the rear edges of the said portions 12.. are adapted to be bent inward at right angles on broken lines m to form rear retaining flanges 16. Adjacent to the folding line 03, the side forming sections 12 are formed with oblique edges n.

When the blank is folded, as above described, the case will have the form shown in Figs. 2 to 8, inclusive. The sides 12 will be properly spaced to hold the package of cigarettes between them and they will be spring clamped against the sides of the carton containing the cigarettes, and the said package will be held between the front and rear retaining flanges 15 and 16 and between the bottom flanges 14 and spring blade 13. By inserting the fin ers of one hand into the case, between t e rear retaining flanges 16, the package of cigarettes can be forced forward so that the front of the package will be pressed against the front retaining flanges 15 and this will aline the cigarettes in the front row of the package forward of the front edge of the retaining blade 13 and in alinement with the openings formed at. top and bottom front corners of the case. What is called the front, top and bottom corner openings, is'shown at the right in Figs. 2, 3, t and 5, and it will be here noted that by the .thumb or finger pressed through the bottom front corner opening, one or more of the cigarettes of the front row of the package can be pressed upward through the top front corner opening, as show-n in Fig. 5, to a position in which its upper end will be above the top of the case where it may be easily reached by the fingers or even inserted directly into the mouth. If more than one cigarette is forced upward, as

.shown in Fig. 5, any cigarette thus projecting after the desired cigarette has been removed, may be pressed downward and then forced slightly backward under the retaining plate 13.

The above manipulations necessary to the e ection of a cigarette from the case may be performed with one hand, even when a glove or mitten is on that hand. When one row of ci arettes has been removed, the package 0 cigarettes will be again forced forward toward the front retaining flanges 15 for alinement with the corner discharge passage or opening. The case, as is evident, will protect cigarettes from breaking and from being crushed, or otherwise damaged while carried in the pocket. Moreover, the case is not of any appreciable larger size than the package of cigarettes itself.

The case, except for retaining flanges,

is open at bottom, front and rear, and the sides thereof are connected only on the top portion, so that it may be easily sprung onto or off from a package of cigarettes. In many instances, it is desirable to cut opcnings 17 in the sides 12 so that the trade mark or other matter printed on the carton of the cigarette package may be viewed through this opening.

The case shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is like that illustrated in the other views, except for the fact that the retaining leaf spring 13 has been omitted and the top 11 of the case relied upon to hold the cigarettes against accidental displacement. Of course, the case .is capable of various other modifications within the scope of my invention. I believe it to be broadly new to provide a case of this general character, into which a package of cigarettes can be placed and from which they may be ejected on the general plan outlined.

The so-called top and bottom front corner openings, as well as the. opening at the rear through which fingers ma be inserted to press the package forwar' are the highly important features, 'but it is also of great importance that the flanged sides of the case be connected for-spring action so that they may be sprung onto and off from the cigarette package. By stamping the entire case from one plece and simpl bendin the same to form, not only a very ighl e cient, but very cheap device is provided What I claim is:

1. A cigarette case adapted to hold and protect a package of cigarettes and havingnear one edge, at opposite corners, openings through one of which the cigarettes may be forced endwise from the package and projected through the other corner opening. said case, near its other edge, having an opening through which the cigarettes may be pressed laterally toward said corner opening.

2. A cigarette case adapted to hold and protect a package of cigarettes and having near one' edge, at opposite corners, openings through one of which the cigarettes may be forced endwise from the package and pro jected through the other corner opening, one of the end plates of said case having a spring blade engageable with the exposed ends of the cigarettes, and beyond which the cigarettes are forced while alined with said corner openings.

3. A cigarette case adapted to hold and protect a package of cigarettes and having near one edge, at opposite corners, openings through one of which the cigarettes may be forced endwise from the package and projected through the other corner opening, one of the end lates of said case having a spring blade engageable with the exposed ends of the cigarettes, and beyond which thecigarettes are forced while alined with said corner openings, the said case having an opening at its back edge through which the fingers may 1 manently connected thereto, the said endplate being terminated short of the plane of the front edges of said side plates to permit the cigarettes to be ejected, one at a time, through that corner of the case, the saidside plates, at front, bottom and rear edges, having inturned flanges for engaging and holding a package of cigarettes within said case.

5. A cigarette case comprising an end plate and laterally spaced side plates permanently connected thereto, the said end plate being terminated short of the plane of the front edges of said side plates to permit the cigarettes to be ejected, one at a time, through that corner of the case, the said side plates, at front, bottom and rear edges, havmg inturned flanges for engaging and holding a package of cigarettes wlthin said case, the said elements being integrally formed from a single piece of sheet metal.

6. A. cigarette. case comprising an end plate and laterally spaced side plates permanently connected thereto, the said end plate being terminated short of the plane of the front edges of said side plates to permit the cigarettes to be ejected, one at a time, through that orner of the case, the said side plates, at front, bottom and rear edges, having inturned flanges for engaging and holding a package of cigarettes Within said case, and a flat spring blade attached to said top plate and engageable with the exposed ends of the cigarettes of said package, the said cigarettes being beyond the free end of said blade when forced to extreme position toward the flanges on the front edges of said side plates.

A cigarette case comprising an end plate and laterally spaced side plates permanently connected thereto, the said end plate being terminated short of the plane of the front edges of said side plates to permit the cigarettes to be ejected, one at a time, through that corner of the case, the said side plates, at front, bottom and rear edges, having inturned flanges for engaging and holding a package of cigarettes within said case, and a flat spring blade attached to said top plate and engageable with the ex-' posed ends of the cigarettes of said package, the said cigarettes being beyond the free end of said blades when forced to extreme position toward the flanges on the front edges of said side plates, all of the said elements of said case being stamped from a single piece of sheet metal bent to the form indicated.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

KENNETH E. BEMIS. Witnesses:

CLARA DEMAREST, Bnnmon G. BAUMANN. 

